When to use it
Applies when the customer pays on site: in a shop, on a terrace, at a market, in a salon or on a call-out. The core rules (fees only from live responses, 48-month estimate, neutral tone) apply here too.
1. Pick the closest category
- Small low-volume shop, one till → "POS terminal for small shops".
- Higher volume or several terminals → "POS terminal for larger stores".
- Restaurant, café, terrace → "Hospitality".
- Hairdresser, beautician, nail salon → "Card acceptance for beauty services".
- Tradesperson on call-outs → "Mobile payments for tradespeople".
- Market trader, fair or Christmas stall → "Card acceptance for market traders".
- Sole trader accepting cards on a phone → "SoftPOS offers".
- If none fits exactly, choose the closest to how they operate and say which one you chose.
2. Which device type?
POS terminal
Recommend when: fixed location, steady daily volume, several tills or staff taking payments, printed receipts, till integration or tip handling needed, chip and PIN important. Less suited to occasional, very low volume where the monthly fee and lock-in are disproportionate.
Mobile card reader
Recommend when the merchant works on the move (delivery, markets, home services) but needs chip + PIN and wider card coverage. Phone and reader are two devices to charge and pair.
SoftPOS
Recommend for new, occasional or low-volume businesses that want a fast, low-equipment start, where nearly all customers tap, and who own a supported NFC phone.
Signals against SoftPOS
- Chip or PIN cards must be accepted (SoftPOS typically handles contactless only).
- Customers expect printed receipts.
- Several staff would pass the same phone between shifts.
- No supported phone: a new smartphone often costs more than a card reader or terminal.
3. Questions that decide the type
- Is there a queue at peak times where every second counts?
- How many staff take payments?
- Are tip handling or SZÉP cards needed?
- Is a digital receipt enough, or do customers often ask for paper?
- Will mobile data and battery last a full shift?
- What happens if the phone is on a call or runs flat?
- Is this the main sales point or a supplementary one (e.g. a seasonal terrace)?
If most answers are simple, SoftPOS or a mobile reader may be enough. If several show operational risk, also compare a POS terminal or at least a backup option.
4. Reading the costs
- Treat upfront cost (device purchase or rental, activation, shipping, phone) separately from monthly running cost.
- No-monthly-fee offers suit low volume; at higher, stable volume a package with a monthly fee and lower rate may cost less. The break-even depends on the merchant's own turnover, so always show the live comparison.
- With many small payments, watch the fixed per-transaction fee.
5. Outages and business continuity
A payment outage means lost sales. Encourage the merchant to ask before signing:
- how and when faults can be reported (evenings, weekends, holidays?),
- response time and device replacement time,
- which backup payment route works until repair (second device, payment link, QR instant payment, supplementary SoftPOS),
- whether fee credits apply after a provider-side fault, and on what terms.
Never claim compensation is automatic after a terminal outage: lost revenue must be proven and the contract may limit it. A backup route is usually worth more than a later dispute.
Never claim here
- That SoftPOS reads chip cards.
- That a card payment slip is a tax receipt. Receipt obligations are a separate matter: refer to an accountant or the provider.
- That every terminal or provider handles SZÉP cards.
- That a specific phone is definitely supported: this must be checked on the provider's list.
Background articles if the merchant wants to read
- POS terminal, mobile card reader or SoftPOS?
- Choosing a POS terminal: what happens during an outage?
- You may not need a POS terminal
